Liquid barrier assembly

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a liquid barrier assembly for the prevention of flow of liquid from one area to an adjacent area. The assembly comprises a plurality of barriers each having a substantially rigid container defining and enclosed chamber and a front concave wall against which, in use, liquid is intended to be incident. The front wall of at least one of the barriers has a plurality of apertures that allow the passage of liquid into and out of the chamber. Adjacent barriers are corrected to one another in a side by side relationship by an elongate dog-bone connector. Each connector has a plurality of resiliently deformable sealing members which ensure that a liquid-tight seal is retained between the barriers. Angular displacement of one barrier relative to its neighbour about the connector is permitted so that a non-linear liquid barrier assembly can be constructed.

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid barrier assembly for the prevention of flow of liquid from one area to an adjacent area and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a liquid barrier assembly for controlling the passage of fluvial or tidal water in areas prone to flooding.

[0002] In England and Wales, approximately 5 million people, in 2 million properties, currently live in flood risk areas and 25 people have died as a result of flooding during 1999 and 2000. The Environment Agency of England and Wales estimates that over the coming century, sea levels are expected to rise by as much as half a metre as glaciers and snowfields melt due to changes in the global climate. As sea levels rise, so to will levels of rainfall and water levels in streams and rivers. Consequentially, larger areas of land, not only across the UK but throughout the world, will be placed under a greater risk of flooding and water damage of various kinds.

[0003] A great need therefore exists for a cost-effective, flexible and efficient method of water management that is capable of protecting valuable land and other resources as the threat of flood damage increases.

[0004] The most well-known method of retaining flood water involves constructing barriers composed of sandbags. Although this method is still widely used, it suffers from several disadvantages. One disadvantage is the amount of labour involved in filling and locating cach bag. Another disadvantage is the high number of sandbags required to construct a wall of sufficient size for even relatively small levels of flooding. A further disadvantage is the arduous nature of the task of dismantling the wall after the flooding has subsided. When combined, these disadvantages serve to make the use of sandbags an extremely labour-intensive, costly and time-consuming process. Consequentially, alternative methods of water management have been proposed.

[0005] One example of an alternative water management system is a water-inflated barrier marketed by Aqua-Barriers™ and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,564. This system uses large water-inflatable barriers to form coffer dams. Each barrier is typically between 50 and 100 foot long, produced with a flexible laminate structure comprising a base of woven polyester sandwiched between, two layers of polyvinyl chloride and is formed as a single hollow tube with a perforated inner restraint diaphragm running along its length, designed to prevent it from rolling when in use. Additionally, each barrier can be joined to others to form longer structures if required. A disadvantage of this system is the need to evaluate various parameters, such as slope and grade, water depth, water velocity, anticipated water flows and related hydrological standards, prior to siting. Furthermore, expert advice is required to locate each barrier, significantly increasing both the cost and complexity of deploying the system.

[0006] Another example of a water management system is the Water Gate™ system marketed by MegaSecur Inc. This system uses barriers, each of which comprises a flexible plastic sheet constructed with a plurality of pockets. The plastic sheet is folded in a specific arrangement when not in use. When required each barrier is sited at a desired location and a securing “bib” manually unfolded. Gravel or sandbags are then placed on top of the “bib” to anchor each barrier in position. The remaining sheets that make up each barrier are allowed to unfold under the pressure of water incident upon them and the pockets open and fill with water to form a dam across the river. Each barrier can be joined to others to form longer structures if required. A disadvantage of this system is the potentially unreliable means by which each sheet is anchored. Another disadvantage, arising from the way in which the barrier is constructed, is that a very large barrier is required to hold back even modest heights of water. For example, a barrier with a depth of 7.4 m is required to retain a head of water 2 m high.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide an assembly suitable for water management and to obviate or mitigate the above-identified disadvantages.

[0008] According to the present invention there is provided a liquid barrier assembly for the prevention of flow of liquid from one area to an adjacent area, the assembly comprising a plurality of barriers each comprising a substantially rigid container defining an enclosed chamber, the container having a front wall against which, in use, liquid is intended to be incident, wherein said front wall of at least one of said barriers has at least one aperture that allows the passage of said liquid into and out of said chamber, adjacent barriers being connected to one another by a connector that forms a liquid-tight seal between the barriers.

[0009] This assembly therefore provides a simple and convenient means by which any liquid can be retained as and when required. The invention is particularly suitable for use as a flood barrier. For example, the barrier assembly may be installed in proximity to river water in an area where a risk of flooding exists. The barrier assembly acts as a temporary, semi-permanent or permanent flood barrier.

[0010] Preferably, the barriers are connected to one another in a side by side relationship and are angularly displaceable relative to one another about said connector parallel to the plane of a surface on which they are located. The connector is preferably slideably received in a groove formed in a side wall of the barrier and may have at least one resiliently deformable sealing member for sealing against said groove.

[0011] Conveniently, the connector has an arcuate portion complementary in shape to the groove in which it is received. The connector may be elongate and conveniently extends commensurate with the depth of the barrier.

[0012] Ideally, said barrier comprises all anchor member for restricting its movement relative to a surface on which it is located. The anchor member may comprise at least one sheet of non-slip material affixed to the barrier so as to engage said surface. Conveniently, the anchor member comprises at least one projection, which may be a stud or a spike, configured to engage said surface. The, or each, projection may be connected to the barrier or connected to the connector.

[0013] Conveniently, the anchor member comprises a plurality of projections configured to engage said surface, at least one projection being connected to the barrier and at least one projection being connected to the connector.

[0014] Preferably, the barrier has at least one attachment member, which may be a lifting eye, so that any suitable lifting means can be attached to said barrier.

[0015] Ideally, at least one of the barriers is it least partially filled with ballast material. The ballast material may be water, wet sand, concrete or any other suitable aggregate.

[0016] The barrier preferably has a further wall which may be a top wall, which has a port allowing access to said enclosed chamber.

[0017] The front wall, against which liquid is intended to be incident, may be arcuate and/or concave.

[0018] Preferably, the barrier is manufactured from a plastic material, which may be polyethylene or polypropylene.

[0019] An embodiment of the present invention will now, be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0020]FIG. 1 is a side view of a barrier of the present invention without a connector attached;

[0021]FIG. 2 is a front view of the barrier of FIG. 1;

[0022] FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) is a plan view side and plan views of a connection member of the present invention;

[0023]FIG. 4 is a plan view of one of the barriers of the present invention with connectors attached;

[0024]FIG. 5 is a plan view of a flood barrier assembly comprising three connected barriers of the present invention; and

[0025]FIG. 6 is a schematic representation illustrating different possible ways in which the barrier(s) of the present invention can be used in the environment.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a barrier 1 for use in retaining flood water comprises a hollow body 2 having a substantially rigid outer shell 3 which defines a chamber. The shell 3 is manufactured from may suitable material, for example, a plastic material such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The shell 3 bas a flat base wall 4 connected to a flat top wall 5 by a pair of upright side walls 6, a front 7 and a linearly inclined rear wall 8. Each upright sidewall 6 has a vertical groove 9 configured to slideably receive a connector (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and described in the detail beloved. The front wall 7 has four sections; upper and lower upright sections 10, 11 connected by a central arcuate concave region 12 and a ramped section 13. The lower and concave sections 11, 12 each have a plurality of regularly spaced small circular apertures 14 through which water (not shown) can enter (and exit) the chamber when incident upon the front wall 7 in the direction indicated by arrow A.

[0027] A lifting eye 15 is defined on the top wall 5 of the body 2 so that any suitable lifting means can be used lift and transport the barrier 1 to its desired location. The exact form and location of the lifting eye 15 can be altered to suit the method of lifting to be used.

[0028] A stud 16 is dependent from the base 4 of the body 2 and is intended to anchor the barrier to the surface on which it is located, thereby increasing its resistance to movement by the pressure of incident water. The stud 16 may be replaced by other types of anchor, such as a spike or non-slip sheet. This choice is dependent on the surface upon which the barrier 1 is to be located and the pressure of water which the barrier 1 is intended to have to withstand. For example, if the barrier is to be used in redirecting flood water through a town centre protecting shops and offices from flooding (see FIG. 6), then it may be desirable to use a non-slip sheet (not shown) attached to the base 4 of the barrier 1 to engage the pavement. In another situation, for example, when the barrier 1 is to be sited on a river bank (see FIG. 6) and the pressure of incident water is expected to be particularly high it may be necessary to use a plurality of studs 16 and/or spikes attached to the base 4 of the shell 3 and/or the connector to engage the river bank.

[0029] Referring now to FIG. 3, the barriers may be interconnected by an elongate connector 17 having substantially the same height as the barrier 1. The connector 17 has a dog-bone cross-sectional shape with arcuate ends complementary to the shape of the grooves 9 in which they are to be slideably received. The connector 17 has six resiliently deformable sealing blades 18 projecting from its surface 19 and extending along its length.

[0030] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the top wall 5 of the barrier 1 has a circular port 20 located between the grooves 9. The port 20 can be used to deposit ballast material, such as water, wet sand, concrete or any other suitable aggregate into the chamber prior to the ingress of water incident on the front wall 7. The port 20 can also be used to inspect the interior of the barrier 1 and to clean it when it is not in use. For example, a hose (not shown) can be inserted into the port 20, water sprayed into the chamber and that water, together with any undesirable material, allowed to exit the chamber through the apertures 14 and/or port 20.

[0031] In use, a plurality of barriers are interconnected to form a wall. Insertion of the connector 17 into the groove 9 on the side wall 6 of the barrier 1 allows adjacent barriers 1 to be connected side by side to form a substantially water-tight flood barrier assembly 21. The resiliently deformable sealing blades 18 seal against the inner surface 22 of the groove 9 when engaged therein. The arcuate ends of the dog-bone shaped connector 17 are designed to allow a small degree of relative angular displacement between each barrier 1 and the connector 17 to which it is collected. In this way a non-linear water-tight wall can be constructed.

[0032] If the surface on which the flood barrier assembly 21 is to be located is uneven or soft it will usually need to be graded prior to siting of the barriers 1. Each barrier 1 is then arranged so that the water to be retained will be incident upon the concave front wall 7 in the direction shown by arrow A in FIG. 1. Connectors 17 are then inserted into the grooves 9 to link adjacent barriers 1 and form the flood barrier assembly 21.

[0033] Once sited, as water levels rise, the apertures 14 on the front wall 7 of each barrier 1 allow incident water to enter the chamber, this water therefore acting as a temporary ballast material to help restrict movement of the barrier 1. When water levels subsequently fall, the water present in the chamber exits via apertures 14 and the ballast weight of each barrier 1 decreases. In this way, the total ballast weight of the flood barrier assembly 21 automatically varies in direct proportion to the volume of water incident upon it.

[0034] Referring now to FIG. 6, various examples are shown in which the water-tight barrier assembly 21 can be used for either temporary, semi-permanent or permanent water retention.

[0035] As a first example, a wall of barriers can be arranged so as to follow broadly the natural course of a river R and thereby act simply to increase the effective height of the river bank to reduce the chance of flooding. Due to the small relative rotational freedom between each pair of connected barriers 1 provided by the connector, the wall can be arranged to follow the river's course whether it is straight 23 or curved 24.

[0036] Alternatively, it may be more desirable to increase the effective width of the river R and accommodate a flood plain. This can be achieved by siting two flood walls 25, one on either side of the river R, spaced back from the banks of the river R at a sufficient distance to enable the increased volume of water to follow the river's usual course.

[0037] In another application, a pair of spaced walls 26 is arranged so as to re-direct some of the volume of water in river R away from certain areas.

[0038] In a further possible application, a plurality of barriers 1 can be corrected to form an enclosure 27 around valuable areas such as a section of a field F or a town T. Alternatively, if an area within a town is under treat of flooding, then a pair of walls 28 can be constructed to channel food water along safe passages e.g. a pavement or road, thereby protecting buildings B from flood damage.

[0039] The same barriers can be used as part of a tidal or coastal flood defence system. In this embodiment, a plurality of barriers 1 can be connected to from a wall 29 at a location at risk from flood damage due to rising sea S levels.

[0040] In another application, water-tight enclosure is constructed from a plurality of barriers 1 to contain water 30, such as a pond P or reservoir, or to increase the effective height of an established reservoir or other water storage device.

[0041] Using the flood barrier with connection means as described above provides the user with a significant degree of flexibility to optimise the barrier(s) to the particular application in hand. Each individual barrier is relatively light when empty and can be sited manually by two persons or, if more convenient, by use of a mechanical lifting means such as a tractor. If it is anticipated that the ballast provided by the ingress of water incident on the front wall is not sufficient to prevent movement of the barrier when in use, then additional ballast material, of any convenient kind (e.g. water, wet sand, concrete or any other suitable aggregate) can be deposited into the chamber of the barrier prior to siting or once sited. If yet greater ballast weight is required then two flood barrier assemblies can be constructed and arranged next to one another in a back-to-back manner such that their rear walls are facing one another. If the weight of the barrier assembly is such that it may damage the surface on which it is to be located then erosion-resistant sheets can be laid on the desired surface and attached to the base wall of each barrier prior to siting.

[0042] It is envisaged that there are likely to be situations in which it would be desirable to construct a water-tight flood barrier assembly wherein just a small fraction of the barriers are filled with a heavy ballast material, such as concrete, so as to act as anchors spaced at intervals along the wall. In this case, the required number of heavy anchoring barriers can be filled with the desired material prior to transport to the site, securely sited and the lighter unfilled barriers connected thereto to form the flood barrier assembly.

[0043] It will be understood that numerous modifications can be made to the embodiment of the invention described above without departing from the underlying inventive concept and that these modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. For example, while a concave front face is a preferred embodiment, any convenient shape may be used, such as an uptight or inclined surface. In addition, any suitable shape can be used for the rear face or sidewalls.

[0044] The size, shape and arrangement of the apertures on the front face can take any form, for example, slits could be used in place of apertures. The lifting eye and stud or spike designed to engage the surface on which the barrier is to be sited may also take any convenient form.

[0045] The connector is designed to permit relative angular displacement between a pair of connected barriers while ensuring that the connection remains water-tight. While the dog-bone connector described hereinbefore is a preferred embodiment, other arrangements, for example a hinge or a connector made from a flexible material, arc intended to be included within the scope of the invention.

[0046] It will also be understood that the assembly hereinbefore described would be equally well suited to the control and containment of any, kind of liquid in addition to water, such as slurry. 

In the claims:
 1. A liquid barrier assembly for the prevention of flow of liquid from one area to an adjacent area, the assembly comprising a plurality of barriers each comprising a substantially rigid container defining an enclosed chamber, the container having a front wall against which, in use, liquid is intended to be incident, wherein said front wall of at least one of said barriers has at least one aperture that allows the passage of said liquid into and out of said chamber, adjacent barriers being connected to one another by a connector that forms a liquid-tight seal between the barriers.
 2. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein the barriers are connected to one another in a side by side relationship and are angularly displaceable relative to one another about said connector parallel to the plane of a surface on which they are located.
 3. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connector is slideably received in a groove formed in a side wall of the barrier.
 4. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 3, wherein the connector has at least one resiliently deformable sealing member for sealing against said groove.
 5. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 3, wherein the connector has an arcuate portion complementary in shape to the groove in which it is received.
 6. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connector is elongate.
 7. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connector extends commensurate with the depth of the barrier.
 8. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein said barrier comprises an anchor member for restricting its movement relative to a surface on which it is located.
 9. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 8, wherein the anchor member comprises at least one sheet of non-slip material affixed to the barrier so as to engage said surface.
 10. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 8, wherein the anchor member comprises at least one projection configured to engage said surface.
 11. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 10, wherein the, or each, projection is connected to the barrier.
 12. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 10, wherein the, or each, projection is connected to the connector.
 13. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 8, wherein the anchor member comprises a plurality of projections configured to engage said surface, at least one projection being connected to the barrier and at least one projection being connected to the connector.
 14. A liquid barrier assembly according to claims 10, wherein the, or each, projection is a stud or a spike.
 15. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein the barrier has at least one attachment member so that any suitable lifting means can be attached to said barrier.
 16. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 15, wherein the, or each, attachment member is a lifting eye.
 17. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the barriers is at least partially filled with ballast material.
 18. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 14, wherein the ballast material is water, wet sand, concrete or any other suitable aggregate.
 19. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein the barrier has a further wall, which has a port allowing access to said enclosed chamber.
 20. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein the further wall is a top wall of the barrier.
 21. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein the front wall, against which liquid is intended to be incident, is arcuate.
 22. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein the front wall, against which liquid is intended to be incident, is concave.
 23. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein the barrier is manufactured from a plastic material.
 24. A liquid barrier assembly according to claim 23, wherein the plastic material is polyethylene or polypropylene.
 25. (Cancelled)
 26. A kit of parts to be assembled to provide a liquid barrier assembly for the prevention of flow of liquid from one area to an adjacent area, the assembly comprising a plurality of barriers each comprising a substantially rigid container defining an enclosed chamber, the container having a front wall against which, in use, liquid is intended to be incident, wherein said front wall of at least one of said barriers has at least one aperture that allows the passage of said liquid into and out of said chamber, adjacent barriers being connected to one another by a connector that forms a liquid-tight seal between the barriers.
 27. An environmental flood barrier comprising a liquid barrier assembly according to any preceding claim. 